Mates
by Wizards-Pupil
Summary: "Sorry." She said, and then she jerked the umbrella out of my hold pulling it over her head so that it was covering her leaving me to get soaked in the pouring rain "Don't just stand there, silly." She said, "Run!" And then she took off. HP/Hg friendship


A/N: This isn't meant to be read as a Harmony fic, but as a Harry/ Mione friendship piece. they have my favorite relationship, so I figured I'd dedicate this to them. The song is "Oh My Dear" by Tenth Avenue North.

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of it but the plot idea.**

_I called you up, you were in bed, could barely make out the words that you said  
>But you wanted to see me instead, so I got dressed<br>So I stepped out into the snow, and walked for a mile or so  
>Felt the rush of blood come from the cold, within my chest<em>

It was the first Sunday after the war, and it was terrible weather. It was chilly for the time of year, and the wind seemed determined to bring down all of Diagon Alley. Add to that the fact that it was raining cats and dogs, and you got one dreary day.

I don't really remember what we were shopping for, only that we were out in the god awful weather together, trying in vain to hold onto the little green umbrella. It was barely big enough for one person, let alone two. We were both magical, so we could have just cast a few charms over ourselves, but we were also both Muggle borns, and often forgot simple things like that.

"This isn't working!" Hermione yelled over the rain, letting out a light laugh as another burst of wind knocked our umbrella back, causing us to get drenched again.

"I have to agree!" I called over the howling wind, laughing with her. This was the first time we'd been alone since the war. The first time I'd been so alone since the war. I'd been surrounded by people, fans, friends, family, paparazzi, the last of which had been driving me crazy. I was enjoying the alone time with one of my best mates. It felt like I was normal, well, as normal as I could be.

"We need two umbrella's!" She continued, struggling to hold on to the umbrella as we neared our destination. We were meeting the others at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. We were going to spend the day repairing the shop from where it had been attacked. I thought it was a good idea to start with that shop first. It had been the one to last the longest during the war, and we could all use a few laughs. We'd been short on those for a long time now.

"This really isn't working." Hermione said in a resolved tone. I turned towards her, a half smile lifting my lips. She was looking at me with her bright eyes, her unruley curls soaked and plastered all around her face. "Sorry." She said, I opened my mouth to ask why, and then she moved. She gripped the umbrella tightly in her hand and jerked it out of my hold, pulling it over her head so that it was fully covering her, leaving me to get fully soaked in the down pouring rain. She stepped forward and I watched her leave with an open mouth, shocked.

"Don't just stand there, silly." She said reproachfully, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "Run!" And then she took off. I watched her run with an open mouth. A clap of thunder sounded and that was enough to unfreeze me. I ran after her, letting out a bubble of laughter as I heard her light laugh in front of me.

_Well, you finally came to the door, and we talked for an hour or more  
>Until I asked if you would stay up until four, and you said that's fine<br>But you said "theres something I have to say, and I can just because I am so afraid"  
>And so I held you as you started to shake, that nigh<em>t

It was a year and a half after the war when the first death occurred, and it threw me for a complete loop.

Crookshanks went to bed one night, and he never got back up. Hermione took it really hard, which was perfectly understandable. She'd had the little halfbreed for almost nine years. He'd lived a long life and I knew he'd been happy, she'd always seen to that.

I found her outside of the Burrow with a shovel and a lot of tears. She'd managed to dig a hole about a foot deep, but she was having trouble making it any deeper. I jumped into the hole next to her and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry her heart out into my new shirt. She wrapped her arms around me and I held onto her, mumbling something that I don't remember, wishing I could take the pain she was feeling away. I could still remember the shock of seeing Hedgwig fall. The utter bewilderment I felt at knowing she would never fly again, the pain I had at knowing I'd never hear her hoot of feel her nibble my fingers.

She ran out of tears after a while, I'm not sure how long, and I let her go, turning back to the grave and picking up another shovel. I dug beside her until we had a hole big enough for him and deep enough that he wouldn't be disturbed. She lowered him into the grave, her eyes filling with more tears as she closed his dull eyes.

"Oh Crookshanks." She sighed, her voice sounding broken. "I don't think I could ever tell you just what you meant to me. You were a constant friend, my little companion. You always knew how to make me feel better, and you were the best listener." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, her tears spilling down her cheeks again.

"Thanks for all your help, mate." I said, taking over for her when it became clear she couldn't speak. "I'll never forget how you knew Peter was Scabbers the whole time. I'm sorry I was mean to you then. Thanks for always making me laugh by tickling with your tail. Thanks for driving Fred and George crazy by always eating their products." Hermione sniffed again and then stepped forward, pushing a small pile of dirt into the grave.

"Thanks for being there." She whispered. I grabbed my shovel and started to fill in the whole, echoing her sentiment.

"I'm really going to miss him." She whispered, her voice wavering.

"He'll miss you too." I said with an attempt at a wry grin, it came out rather watery. "After all, you were the only one he ever liked." She let out a wet laugh at that.

"That's not true, he liked you. It was Ron he couldn't stand."

"He did make his life miserable." I said, grinning. "Remember the time he ate his homework? McGonagall wouldn't believe him." A real smile spread across her lips and she nodded her head, her eyes shiny with tears.

"Yeah, she accused him of lying. Said that no cat would eat homework."

"I think she took it personally." Hermione laughed again, straightening up and turning fully towards me.

"It drove him crazy how she always took Crookie's side." We headed back towards the house, laughing and reminiscing about the crazy cat.

_Oh, my dear, I'll wait for you  
>Grace tonight will pull us through<br>Until the tears have left your eyes  
>Until the fear can sleep at night<br>Until the demons that you're scared of  
>Disappear inside<br>Until the scale begins to crack  
>And this weight falls from your back<br>Oh, my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight  
>And so your tears fell and melted the snow<br>You told me secrets nobody had known  
>But I never loved you more, even though<br>Now I know what you did_

"You actually came!" Hermione's voice was far too chipper, and she looked far too excited to see me. It was not a good sign when Hermione got _that_ look. It meant that I was about to be in trouble, whether it was going to be taking a stand for elf rights or one against Fred and George's pranks, I was going to be pulled into something.

Today I had agreed to help her move from her apartment in Hogsmeade, to one in Diagon Alley, where the rent would be cheaper and she'd be nearer work. I racked my brain but I couldn't justify her look.

One thing was for sure though, I was in trouble.

She lead me upstairs, chatting excitedly about elf rights. I nodded my head, smiling and feigning interest. She still hadn't given up on the idea. It had been five years since she started SPEW and she was still determined to make it work. We went into her apartment and I knew in a heartbeat why she was so excited to see me.

I was the only one here.

"Uh, Hermione?" I asked, looking around the partially packed apartment. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh," She said, sounding surprised. "You're the only one that's shown up." My eyes widened and I probably showed how worried that made me. "But that's alright, we can do it by ourselves. It'll only take a couple of hours to finish packing, and we can use charms to help make moving easier."

"But we're the only ones here." I said, still not believing everyone else had chickened out. That was not fair, why hadn't they told me they were backing out?

"You don't mind helping me, do you?" She asked, pausing her packing. "You don't have to help since everyone else dropped out. I won't make you stay." She looked like she didn't care one way or the other, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I was the only one who could read her no matter what. She was never able to hide what she was really thinking. Her eyes always gave her away. I hesitated for only half a second. I couldn't leave her to do it by herself. I had promised that I was going to help her and unlike the others I wasn't going to back out.

"No, I'm not doing anything." I said, grabbing a few books and sticking them in a box.

"Good." She said, grinning happily. I grabbed a few more books and laid them beside the others. I looked at the titles and let out a laugh.

"What is it?" She asked, looking up.

"You have seven copies of 'Hogwarts: A History!'"

_You slowly lifted your head from your hands  
>You said "I just don't think you'll understand<br>You'll never look at me that way again  
>If you knew what I did<em>"

She lived on the floor below me and every day we would leave for the office together. We'd walk to the ministry together, and then separate to go to our different offices. We'd eat lunch together at the cafeteria and discuss what was going on. Afterwards we'd return to work, and then at the end of the day we'd meet each other and walk back home together. Nothing interrupted that routine for two years.

Until she got a date.

I wasn't really all that surprised, she'd been dating quite a lot, but I hadn't expected her to meet him for lunch and then dinner. She skipped lunch with me and let him take her out immediately after work. I waited for her for a half hour before I realized she wasn't going to show. I walked home by myself and went to the apartment, feeling kind of sad. I didn't mind Hermione dating, I was happy she was seeing someone, but I felt like I had been stood up.

My best mate had forgotten to tell me she wasn't going to see me. All I was asking for was a little consideration. I walked the long walk home, in the rain (at least I got my own umbrella.) I climbed up the stairs, feeling resentful and then stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a faint sniffle.

I knew that sniffle.

"Hermione?" I questioned, climbing up the steps and looking around. I saw her sitting over at the side, her robe wrapped around her shoulders and her head hidden in her lap.

I stepped over towards her and sat down, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her towards me. "What happened?"

"He stood me up." She whimpered. I forgot all my annoyance from earlier and held her tighter, brotherly protective rage filling me up.

"Who was he?" I asked.

"No body." She murmured, burying her head in my shoulder and crying. I held her as she wept, swearing I would find the bludger and hex him. She told me all about the date, or lack thereof, but she never mentioned his name. I walked her back to her room and fixed her a meal, still questioning about him, but she never told. I asked her each day that week but she never did tell.

She had another date the next week, on a Saturday, and she had me help her pick out her outfit. (She always did that, I never got it. I had no fashion sense, but she always asked my opinion.)

"Who is he?" I asked once she was ready.

"I'm going out with Fred tonight." She said, finishing her hair.

"Well that should be fun."

"I think so." She said.

"If he upsets you though, I will arrest him and then hex him."

"You won't have to." She said, stepping towards me and grabbing me in a hug. "If he stands me up like Krum, I'll hex him." I must have given my excitement at finding out the real name away because her eyes grew wide.

"Thanks, Hermione. I have a international trip I have to go on. Maybe I'll just go pay the Bulgarian a visit."

"Don't hurt him." She pleaded. I shook my head. He'd already signed his death warrant when he'd made my best friend cry. What was the point of being an auror if you couldn't help your friends by arresting their bad boyfriends?

_Oh, my dear, ill wait for you  
>Grace tonight will pull us through<br>Oh, my dear, ill wait for you  
>Grace tonight will pull us through<br>Until the tears have left your eyes  
>Until the fear can sleep at night<br>Until the demons that you're scared of  
>Disappear inside<br>Until the scale begins to crack  
>And this weight falls from your back<br>Oh, my dear, ill keep you in my arms tonight _

I used to be worried that when we got married things would change, we'd lose our closeness, our friendship would dissipate.

Of everything I've ever thought or done, that had to be the biggest goof. It's been twenty years since I killed Voldemort, fifteen of which I've been very happily married to Ginny Weasley, and she's been married to Fred. We each have three children, all of which get into more trouble than either of us care to admit. They've given me more gray hairs than anything, but they've made life interesting.

When I was younger my conscience sounded like Hermione. I used to think it was because she was the one that was always telling me what I shouldn't do. She was the one that always made me feel guilty for misbehaving. Looking back now I realize that it was because she was the one that was always trying to protect me. It was only natural that it would sound like her.

She's always been my best mate, steady and true. No matter what happened or was happening, I could be sure that she would be there. When everyone else doubted me or didn't believe me, she was always there. She was the perfect best friend. She got me out of trouble, she kept me in line, she made me laugh, and she always could get me out of any funk.

She was my very best mate. It was as simple, and wonderfully complicated as that.

_Thanks for reading, and don't forget to reveiw if you enjoyed!_


End file.
